Automatic sheet feeding and delivery device for cylinder printing presses



Feb. 27, 1940. BUTTNER 2,192,068 AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING AND DELIVERY DEvIcE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES- Filed Feb. 4, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 27, 1940. A. BUTTNER 5 AUTOMATIC snmm FEEDING ANDDELIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb/4, 1939 7Sheets-Sheet 2 age,"

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AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 4, 1 9 39 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jive/r671;

A. BUTTNER AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 4, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 27, 1940. B T ER V 2,192,068

AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 4, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet a Feb 27, 1940.

A. BUTTN ER AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING. AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES- Filed Feb. 4, 1939 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Feb. 27, 1940 FUN-[TED "STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING AND DE- LIVERY DEVICE FOR CYLINDER PRINT- ING PRESSES Artur Biittner, Heidelberg, Germany assignor to Schnellpres'senfabrlk' Aktiengesellschaft Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany Application February 4, 1939, Serial No. 254,133

In Germany February 7, 1938 3 Claims.

Hitherto the sheet feeding apparatus employed in cylinder printing presses constituted a selfcontained' and separately actuated device which had nothing todo with the sheet delivery device proper of the press. This device is generally provided with special and independent means effecting the laying on of the sheets but is of no use for feeding of-the sheets. a

The present. improved device is, distinguished from said known devices,- and-excells them,- by the II provision of a' plurality of particularly designed conveying members which are movable on an axle and adapted to lay the sheets on, as well as to lay them off. In other words: the same device is utilised for both operations.

i the device as a cross having four arms and being turned in steps in such a manner that when the cross is in its position of rest certain'members provided at two arms of the cross take hold 28 of two sheets, whereas certain members provided at the other two of the cross arms release two sheets, and so the operation goes on in continual alternation and succession.

The respective arrangement and combination of parts entails an extraordinary simplification as regards the movements requisite for laying the sheets on and off, and renders also possible a considerable increase of the working speed, in that the arm-cross need be turned only for 90 degreesat-ever'y print. The several phases to be carried out, during the printing operation are as follows: I

The first phase consists in supplying a fresh sheet from the feed pile of sheets to one of the 4 cross-arms; the preceding arm has taken hold of the sheet having been supplied prior thereto and has moved it over a laying-on table and placed it against laying-on marks-whereby the sheet is registered; again simultaneously therewith a preceding arm has seized the sheet having been printed prior thereto, viz., at one of the lateral rims of that sheet, and again simultaneously therewith the preceding arm is laying on?- laying-off device presents the possibility to arrange the twopiles side by side at a side of the 55. machine whereby the further advantage is ob- It is suitable to the purpose in view to design tained that the composition bed, the printing cylinder, and the inking device are very-conveniently accessible without necessitating lateral turning away of parts or certain devices of the machine. 5

Finally, another advantage also worth mentioning is that feeding of the sheets to be printed and delivering of the printed sheets is effected without the co-operation of bands or (and) rolls.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawings on which Figure 1 is a plan view of a cylinder printing press equipped with the present improved sheet feeding and delivery device; Figure 2 shows one portion of Fig. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale, and Figure 3 shows the other portion of Fig. l likewise drawn to an enlarged scale;

t Figure 4 is a vertical section on line I-I of Fig. 2; Figure 5 is likewise a vertical section on, line I-'-I of Fig. 2, but shows certain members in another position; Fig, 6 is a vertical section on line IIII of Fig. 2; and Figure 7 is ,a vertical section on line III-III of Fig. 3.

Referring first to Fig. 5, it appears therefrom, that the impression cylinder l, the axle 2fof which is supported. in the frame 3 of the machine, is driven by means of a pinion 5 secured to a shaft 4. The pinion meshes with a large cog-wheel 6 driving a cog-wheel I having the same diameteras said wheel 6 and beingaflixed to the axle 2 theimpression cylinder being driven by these members with equal speed and always in the same direction. The impression cylinder-is, however, in fact, not a complete cylinder, but a cylindrical or circularly curved sector which is aflixed to the said axle 2, as already mentioned. This sector will be termed impression segment" in the following part of this specification.

The said impression segment I is provided in the usual manner with grippers 8 (Figs. 4 and 5), as well as with a clamping flap 9 and with clamping spindles Ill serving for clamping fast the usual covering II.

Below the impression segment I is a composition bed [2 which bears the composition I2 and is reciprocated'in the frame 3 by suitable means. The ink for the composition is drawn from the inking device 13 merely indicated in Fig. 1.

From the Figs. 1 and 3 it appears that the support M (Fig. '7) for the feed-pile l5 is arranged ata side of the frame 3 of the machine. In said frame there is journalled a vertical shaft l6 (Figs.

1 and 5) which is vertically shiftable, as well'as rotatable, and a disk I1 is afllxed to said shaft.

Said disk is, in the example shown, provided with four arms H, H and arranged relatively to one another in angles of '90 degrees and equipped with grippers for taking hold of 5 the sheets and for conveying them. The said arms constitute a rotary cross which is turned in intervals about 90, and always in the same direction, whereby the sheet next to be printed is conveyed from the feed pile Hi to the laying-on table I8, and the printed sheet to the delivery pilel9 whichis likewise arranged at a side of the machine. The support M of said feed pile l5 and the support (not shown) of the delivery pile H! are controlled by known means in such a manner that the first is 'lifted and the other is lowered in correspondence with the sionof the printing operation.

I am now going to describe the course sheet passing through the machine.

pr resof a 28 In the example illustrated in the drawings the four arms of'the rotary cross are designed as grippers. The sheet to be printed is lifted off from the, feed pile by means of a sucker bar (Figs. 1, 3 and 7) and conveyed to that arm of 26 the cross just being located in front of said sucker bar, which may be assumed to be the arm I1 (Figs. ,1 and 3). After this arm has seized the sheet concerned at the front edge of the same, the vertical shaft .l6 islifted (by means de- 30 scribed hereinafter) together with the arm-cross as much as requisite; the sucker bar 20 partakes in said vertical movement. Now the entire arm-cross is turned by 90 degrees whereby the sheet will be conveyed onto the laying-on table l8, and as soon as the sheet has been withdrawn below the sucker bar 20 which has not partaken in the'rotary motion said bar is again lowered ,in order to suck on the next sheet. In the meantime-the shaft Hi again has been lowered, to-

40 ether with the arm-cross, so that the's'heet is placed in fiat position upon the laying-on table l6 until it arrives at the laying-on marks 2|. These 'marks are adjustable corresponding to the breadth of the sheet along a spi'ndl'e 22. The

45 lateral registering of the sheet is effected b means of pullingor shifting marks 23.

If particularly small sheets are to beprinted there is provided in the laying-on table l8 a slide 24' onto which a shiftable bracket can be so screwed, if requisita; Besides, if printingwork of a particular kind is to be produced, such 'a' shiftabzle bracket can. also be attached 'to a rail 25- inserted into the. laying-on table l8.

' When the sheet to be printed hasbeen regis- 55 tered upon the laying-on table it is seized by a uniformly oscillating intermediary feed gripper 26 (Figs. 4 and 5) which conveys that sheet to the rotating impression segment. I. In order to render it possible to withdraw the sheet freely 80 from the laying-on'table I8, the laying-on marks 65 feed grippers 26 which are normally kept closed by springs. For this purpose the axle 26 of these grippers 26 is supported in a rail 2|; forming the stationary sheek or sheeks of said grippers, and onsaid axle is a roll lever 30 whichabuts against 0 the cam disk 29. A link 3| hinged to this disk is controlled in a suitable manner, for instance by means of a cam (not shown), whereby said disk is oscillated as'requisite for the proper operation of the mechanism in question, viz. for lift- 76 ing and lowering the laying-on marks 2| and to roll 5| engages a stationary cam 52.

open the-intermediary feed grippers counter to I the closing actionof the springs attached to them.

The gripper rail 26 is carried by lateral arms '38 secured to a shaft 32, to which is, besides,

'afiix'ed, outside the frame .of the machine, a

toothed segment 3% which meshes with a rack I aflixed to a guide member surrounding the axle 2 of the impression segment member 36 is provided 'with guide rolls 31 and 31 each contacting with the circumference'of an eccentric 38 afiixed to the shaft'2 of *said impression segment i. This mechanism brings about a positive shifting-of the rack 35 that is guided in a straight line, as well as a vertical oscillation of the intermediary grippers 26. This oscillatory motion takes place in such a manner Said guide that the grippers 26 when they are in the position shown in Fig. 5 stand opposite the grippers 8 of the impression segment I and are, therefore, able to transmitthe sheet to the grippers 8. In order to prevent the sheet from collapsing whilst being conducted from the laying-on table l8 to the impression segment |v there is provided at the gripper rail 26 a plurality of supports 38 arranged concentrically with respect to the oscillatory axle 32 and taking part in the oscillatory motion. The grippers 8 are kept closed in known manner by means of springs. v Opening them is effected by means of a cam member 40 (Fig. 5) arranged on the frame of the machine, and of a roll lever 4| secured to the gripper axle and running upon said member '40.

When the grippers. 8 of the impression segment have seized the sheet, the intermediary feed grippers 26'swing again upwardly, where-- as the impression segment I continuesin its rotary motion and the printing operation is efiected by the composition |2 while this is beingmoved to the left (Fig. -5).

After the printing has been done and when the impression segment .I is in the position shown in Fig. 4; the front rim of the printed sheet is seized by a second set '42 of oscillating-grippers,

; the common axle of "these grippers" being supported in va'gripper rail 42 (Fig. 4). This rail is attached at one of its ends to a lever arm '43 supportedon a bolt 44 screwed into the frame of the machine. The grippers are kept closed by springs and'are opened by means of a roll lever 45 which when the oscillating grippers 42 are in the position shown in Fig. 4 runs upon an abutment member ,(not shown) and. opens the grippers, so that they can extend over the sheet. at the front rim of the same. Simultaneously therewith the cylinder grippers 8 'are opened, by the roller-lever 4| affixed to theiraxle and cooperating with a cam piece (not shown). As soon as the oscillating grippers 42 have seized the sheet, the arm 43 performsv a whereby the sheet is withdrawn from the impression segment I and pulled upon a delivery table 46. The oscillatory motion of the arm 43 is eifected by means of -'a lever 41 aflixed to the axle 44 and connected with a link 48 (Figs. 4 and 5); the other end of this-link is hinged to a lever 49. This lever is supported on a bolt 50 and is at the end hinged to the link 48 provided witha roll 5|. The bolt 50 is secured to the cog-wheel 15 which rotates continua ly, and said When the wheel 6' rotates, the oscillating grippers 42 are .moved to and fro by means of the lever-mechanism just described, and at the sametime the swinging motion together with the grippers 82 cam 62 regulates this oscillatory motion in such v escapee a manner that a short pause takes place in the end position (Fig. 5) of the oscillating grippers 42 and that, besides, the withdrawl of the sheet from the impression segment takes place in accurate co-incidence with the rotary speed oi this segment. In order to convey the sheet to and on the delivery table 46 with a possibly short oscillatory movement and to lay it down upon a supporting surface in fiat state along its entire length, said table is composed of two parts 46 and 46 of which the latter can be moved to and fro rectilinearlyj" relatively to the other part 46.

When the oscillating grippers 42, together with the sheet they have seized, have been swung over the front edge of the delivery table 46, 46 this latter part is moved outwardly in order to elongate the supporting surface, whereas the part 46 is and remains stationary. For shifting the part 46 may be with utilisation of the oscillatory movement of the'feed grippers 26, a link 53 is attached to the oscillating axle. 32by means of a bolt 54; said link'is connected at its other end with a lever 55. Such a lever is provided. at

'out upon the delivery table 46, 46 the oscillating grippers 42 are opened in that the roll lever 45 located upon the axle of these grippers pushes upon a controlled abutment member 68 (Fig. 5)

Now the printed sheet is seized by that gripper arm (for instance I1 which is just in the proper position for the operation that has now to take .place. The sheet is seized at one of its lateral rims and the gripper-cross rotates, but is also lifted in the below-described manner so that the gripper-arm concerned (say I'l is withdrawn from the delivery table 46, 46 Owing to that rotation of the gripper-cross and to the lowering thereof which takes place simultaneously with said rotation the printed sheet is placed upon the delivery pile I9 situated at a side of l the frame of-the machine.

In order to render it possible to seize also smaller sheets with an arm of the gripper-cross and to convey them to and onto the delivery pile, the sheets constituting the feed-pile must always contact at their left-hand edge with an abutment member-I5 ,.as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

While the printed sheet is swung outwardly,

the outer part 46 of the delivery table 46, 46 is again shifted inwardly, whereby the length of this table is reduced, so that the loscillating gripper 42 can swing back into the position shown in Fig. 4 so as to be able to seize the next printed" 68 of a lever 64 tumable on a pivot 65 screwed into the frame of the machine.

If the segment I is so designed as to perform one revolution at I transmitted by means of a link 66 to a rack 61 guided rectilinearly in said frame. The rack meshes with a toothed segment 68 which is firmly connected with a partly toothed wheel 69 and a helical-wheel 18, these three wheels rotating,

therefore, simultaneously on a common axle II. The helical-wheel I0 meshes with a second helical-wheel "secured to a shaft I4 supported in bearings I3, to this shaft is, furthermore, firmly.

am'xed along pinion I5 which meshes with a large cog-wheel I6 afilxed to the vertical shaft l6 carrying the gripper-cross.

The cam member 62 from which the rotary motion of the grippercross is drawn is so shaped that the rotary motion of. the shaft I6 is initiated by the rack another partly toothed cog-wheel 11 secured to j the axle 2 of the impression segment I and rotates with the same uniform speed as said segment The gripper-cross continues to rotate with said uniform speed until the two wheels 69 and have come out of engagement, but prior thereto cog-wheel 68 has again come into engagement with the returning rack 61, the speed of which is slowly reduced until it finally becomes zero so that the cog-wheel 69 and, therefore, also the rotary motion of the gripper-cross comes to a standstill.- The ratio of gearing of the wheels I5 and I6 is 1:4 so that the gripper-cross moves through an angle of 90 degrees whenthe wheel I5 makes one revolution. s

Lifting and'lowering of the gripper-cross at every partial rotation is effected as follows:

In the cog-wheel 6 (Fig. 6) there is a curved groove I8 into which engages a roll I9 which is attached to a bell-crank lever 88, 8| tumable on a bolt 82 screwed into the frame of the machine.

A link 83 is hinged to the arm 8| of said bellcrank lever and establishes a connection with the arm 84 of a second bell-crank lever 84, 85 which is likewise tumable on a bolt projecting from thewteeth concerned.

,The lifting and the lowering of the grippercross and the rotary movements of the'same' need not take place independently from one another, but may be combined, for instance in such a}. manner that the gripper-cross is gradually lowered while it performs a part-rotation of degrees.

4 The grippers I1 I1 I! and I1 are each in known mannerprovided with two cheeks, one of which is pressed against the other by' means of springs attached to the axle connecting the two cheeks with one another, said springs keeping the pairs of cheeks normally closed. Firmly secured to the axle of every pair of cheeks is a roll lever '88 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) the rolls running on a controlled cam disk 89 (Fig. 6) whereby the grippers are opened at the proper time. The cam disk 89 does not take part in the lifting and lowering of the gripper-cross; Therefore, the grippers of the four arms are always closed when the gripper-cross is lifted.

' The manner of operation of the press is as follows:

In the position of rest of the gripper-cross,- as in Fig. 1, the cross is in its lower position, and now a sheet to be printed is conveyed from the pile l5 to the gripper arm H by means of the sucker bar 20. The gripper arm II has at this time released a sheet which has been moved towards the laying-on marks 2| and is now registered. The gripper arm I1 has seized a printed sheet at a lateral edge thereof, and the gripper arm I'H'has released a printedsheet which he had conveyed to the delivery pile H). In the po-. sition of rest always two gripper arms (for instance I1 and take hold of two sheets, whereas the other gripper arms (for instance I1 and H release two sheets. I

Now the gripper-cross is lifted and turned by 90 degrees, whereby the arm I1 conveys its sheet towards andagainst the laying-on marks, but simultaneously therewith the gripper-cross is being lowered. During this time the previously registered sheet is conveyed to the impression laying-om table and the other-conveys a printed sheet torand upon the'delivery'pile. The period of time available for' the rotation of 90 degrees is comparatively long, in that the rotary motion can commence already when a sheet tobe registered 'is still laying on the laying-on table. Ow-

ing to all that the several movements can be car-.-

'ried out in a very' quiet manner. According to the invention suckers might be usedinstead of the grippers.

As according to the invention the sheets constitutlng'the feed pile must always contact at their left hand rim with-an abutment member,

' of the, frame of the machineazid having a feed .to. beprinted from said feed pile to the layingso that the gripper-cross seizes the printed sheet always at the same jlateral'rim; the advantage is obtained that the form can always belocked up in the same edge of the chase;

Iclaim: a; 1. An automatic sheet feeding anddelivery de-, vice for cylinder printing machines-equipped with sheet conveying means able to perform rotary movements on a vertical axle arranged laterally pile and a delivery pile comprising incombination, a four-a'rmed-conveyor member connected to' said vertical axle, means "for rotating, said conveyor member intermittently in the same direction through 90 degrees ata time, said four conveyor-arms being controlled in such a manner thatduring each complete revolution of the conveyor member through-360 degrees each of the four arms one alter the other conveys a sheet on marks and seizes a. printed sheet by one of its lateral edges and conveys it tosaid delivery 2. A device as specified in claim 1 wherein the printed sheet is withdrawn from the impression cylinder and is depositedabove said cylinder on a'support-constitutirig member in such a.

manner-that a'lateral edge of saidsheet can be seizedby one of the {our arms of the sheet-conveyor member and can be swung to and over the delivery pile. t

3'. A. device, as. specified in claim 1 wherein, i the support-constituting member for theiprinted sheet to be delivered is elongated and reducedin length alternately in correspondence with the movements ofoscillating conveying means for withdrawing said sheet from the impression'cyl-- inder and conveying, it to and onto said supportconstituting member. 

